Grate for burning gas in fire-places



(No Model.)

W. S. J ARBOE.

@RATE FOR BURNING GAS 1N PIRE PLAGES. No. 329,172.

Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

UNTTnn TaTns aTnnT @Trinao ifi/'ALTER S. JARBOE, OF ALLEGHENY CITY,PENNSYLVANIA.

@HATE FOR BURNING GAS iN PERE-PLACES.

SEJEFEGATIQEI forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,172, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed January 14, 1585. Serial No. 152,837. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. JARBOE, of Allegheny City, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Grates for Burning Gas in Fire-Pl aces and Furnaces; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to rire-places, stoves, and furnaces employed inburning natural and other as fuel for heating purposes. This natural gasis obtained through Artesian wells in certain localities, and conduttedthrough pipe-lines to the places where it is utilized, the gas beingcarried in some ciiibs through the streets and utilized in publicbuildings and houses for heating purposes to a large extent, and beingfound an inexpensive fuel. In other localities gas is manufactured forthis purpose either at the place where used or inv different parts ofthe city, and is conducted in the same manner to houses and publicbuildings for use. The most approved method of burning this gas forheating purposes has been to introduce it into hollow grates orgrate-bars, togetherwith air, the air and gas being mixed at theentrance into and within the chamber of these hollow grates or gratebars and rising through holes or perforations in the upper surface ofthe bar and around the upper edge thereof. The gas is generallyconducted to the grate or furnace by means of a small pipe, and thenpasses throughthe mixingchamber, the chamber being illustrated in Figure2 of the drawings, and having openings for the admission of air around atube or nipple, through which the gas enters, the draft of the furnacedrawing in the air through the mixing-chamber, and the gas enteringthrough the nipple acting to a certain extent as a siphon. rlhe gas andair rising through the hollow grates are burned within the iirevboxaround a mass of broken hre-brick or similar refractory material, whichacts both to support combustion within the fire-box by absorbing theheat generated from the combustion of the gaseous fuel and heat` ing thegas and air as they enter the fire-box, and also to radiate the heatgenerated within the fire-boX through the walls ofthe stove or furnaceor into the roomin which it is located. Heretofore this brokenfire-brick or similar refractory material has rested directly upon theupper surface of thehollow grates or grate-bars, and,as a consequence,the heat of the refractory material has been imparted to the grate-bars,thus causing them to burn out rapidly, and as the refractory materialrested directly on the upper surface of the grate-bars, the holes orperforations therein were closed or clogged by this refractory material,which is liable to crumble, and would cause the iilling up of theperforations, thus preventing an even distribution of the i'lame andheat throughout the fire box or chamber. In many cases where therefractory material has thus rested directly on the grates it has soclogged the perforations therein as to seriousl yim pede the passage ofthe gas and air and to cause the ilashing of the gas within themixingchamber, the flame passing out of the mixing-chamber, and in somecases setting fire to the room in which it is used. y

The object of my invention is to overcome these difliculties inconnection with the use of these hollow grate-bars; and it consists,essentially, in forming the hollow grate with a flat upper surface, andperforations extending through the body thereof, and providing it with aseries of pins or like projections on the upper surface thereof, tosupport the refractory material employed to hold and refract the heatabove the body of the grate, thus preventing the clogging ofthe holes orperforations and forming a continuous chamber or space above the hollowgrate, within which the gas and air may circulate before rising throughthe refractory material, causing a more even distribution of the gas andfiame through the firechamber, and at the same time preventing the rapidburning out of the grate, before referred to.

It also consists in certain improvements in the connections between themixing-chamber and hollow grate, to allow of the easy removal of thehollow grate to allow of the use of solid fuel where the gas gives out.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of myimproved hollow gratebar, showing the form employed in the ordinarygrate for fireplaces and stoves. Fig. 2 is a erosssect-ion showing aportion of the fire-place and illustrating the employment of my improvedgrate. Fig. 3 is a perspective IOO view of the grate employed withfurnaces and stoves having circular fire-boxes. Fig. 4 is a side view ofthe connecting-nipple employed between the mixing chamber and hollowgrate, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the nipple andmixing-chamber.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The grate a is cast to shape, and when employed in the ordinaryfire-place is rectangular in shape, corresponding substantially to thesize of the fire-place at the base thereof. When employed in furnaces orstoves having circular lire pots or boxes, the grate c is circular inshape, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The grate is hollow, the walls thereofbeing generally formed about one-fourth of an inch in thickness, and thesides and ends are preferably formed sloping, to allow the gas and airto pass horizontally through the perforations or holes b in the sidewalls, c, near the top thereof, the top of the grate being flat.Extending through the topor upper surface of the grate are a series ofperforations or holes, b, these holes being located at short intervalsover the entire surface of the grate-bar, so as to obtain the evendistribution of the gas and air rising through the grate bar. Extendingup at short intervals on the upper surface of the grate-bar are the pinsor projections e, these pins being placed close enough together to forma support for the broken firebrick or other refractory material, f,employed to receive and retain the heat generated from the combustion ofthe gas and air within the fire chamber or box. pins are about one inchapart and about threefourths of an inch in height, though of course theexact height of or. distance between the pins is not material. The pinsare cast with the grate and add but little to the expense of itsmanufacture.

The gas and air may be conducted into the grate-bar either through theend or, as preferred by me, at the base thereof, as a more evendistribution is obtained in this manner. For this purpose themixing-chamber g is employed at the base of the hollow grate, and thepipeh,leading from the gas-main,is screwed to this mixing-chamber.

Inthe center of the chamber is the jet la, through which the gas passesfrom the pipec into the chamber, and the chamber has at the base thereofthe openings Z, to permit the entrance ofthe air.

Secured to the top of the mixing-'chamber is the nipple m, the upperend, n, of which is cone-shaped, and fits into a correspondinglytaperedseat, p, in the hollow grate, thus forming a connection between themixingchamber and hollow grate. tends up through the bars of the grate,and in case the supply of gas gives out the hollow grate may be liftedoff and a cap, e, be placed on the'nipple to prevent the entrance ofashes, tc., when the grate may be employed in the usual way with coal orother solid fuel. The

In an -ordinary grate these' chamber g, and thence into the hollowgratebar, and it circulates within the hollow chamber m of the grate-barand passes through the perforations b thereof, the gas and air thenpassing up into the mass of refractory material supported on the grateand forming combustion therein, the required heat being generated inthis manner and the refractory material supporting combustion within thelire chamber or box and refracting the heat therefrom into the apartmentor through the walls of the stove or furnace. As the refractory materialis held above the body of the hollow grate, it is evident that the openspace or chamber above the fiat upper surface of the grate and aroundthe pins or projections c causes the more4 perfect circulation of thegas and air before it rises through the mass of refractory material, andin case any ofthe perforations should become clogged prevents the unevendistribution of the gas and air on this account. As, however, therefractory material is all held above thebody of the hollow grate, it isevident that there is' no liability ofthe holes or perforationsclogging, as is the case where it rests directly onl the body of thegrate. lt is also evident that by the use of these pins or projectionsthe mass of highlyheated refractory material is held above the body ofthe grate, and consequently all liability of the rapid burning out ofthe hollow grate is prevented. By the employment of the nipple havingcone-shaped upper end and the cap the grate may be changed by the useras desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A hollow grate for burning gaseous fuel, having a flat uppersurface,l perforations extending through the same, anda series of pinsor projections on its upper surface adapted to hold refractory materialabove the body of the grate and so form an air-space above and protectthe body of the grate from burning out, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a hollow perforated grate for burning gaseousfuel, a mixingchamber, and a connecting-nipple fitting within a seat inthe hollow burner, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the mixing-chamber g, secured to the gas-supplypipe h, the nipple m, secured to the mixing-chamber, and thecovering-cap c, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said WALTER S. JARBOE, have hereunto set myhand.

WALTER` S. JARBOE.

Witnesses:

CrrAs. H. TAYLOR, JAMES I. KAY.

IOO

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